Side bearing for railway cars



Aug. 23, 1932. FUCHS 1,873,702

SIDE BEARING FOR RAILWAY GARS Filed Dec. 5, 1928 Patented Aug. 23, 1932 -UNIIsDjVsT-Aresf rj-`ATENT orf-ICE Y IIEIimYrUoI-s, or cIIIcAeo, IL'ILINoIsgA'ssIeNoR fro W. H Mmnn, INC., or CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, A conronA'rIon or DELAWARE SIDE BEARING non RAILWAY cARs i f VApplication led December 5,

This invention relates .to improvements in side hearings for railway cars. i

' One object of the invention is to provide a y i simple and eflicient anti-fric-tionside bearingv for railway cars provided with means controlled by relative movement of the bodyA and truck holsters for centering the same.

VAanother object of the invention is to provide an anti-friction side hearing of the character indicated7 including an anti-fric-v tion member interposedbetween the holsters,

which is supported by the truck bolster and.` is adapted to have rolling contact with bothl holsters when under load, together with centering projections on the anti-friction inember having constanti engagement `with actuating means on the body bolster for centering said member' through relative movement of the holsters, wherein the ycentering projections and actuating means are so designed and arranged as to be in operative engagement, regardless of theeXtent of separation of the holsters. f Q

A still further object of the invention is to provide a side bearing for lrailway cars, interposed between opposed hearing surfacesy on the body and truck holsters and adapted to have rolling contact therewith when under load, wherein the anti-friction element is supported by the truck bolster at all times and is urged to centered position by theaction of gravity, and said element and the body bolster are provided with-cooperating means for controlling the position of the J anti-friction element by relative angular displacement of the holsters about their pivotal center. Y Y

Yet another object of theinvention is to'v provide an anti-friction bearing for railway c-ars, including a roller interposed between the body and truck holsters and supported byY the hearing surface of the truck holster, the

'bearing surface of said bolster being inclined upwardly in opposite directions fromfthe center to urge the roller to centered position 1928. Serial No. 323,854'.

lugs working in vertical guideways on the body bolsterwhereby the movement of the roller'is controlled ,and the roller isfpositively rotated to centered position by relative angular movement of the` holsters while returning to vertically valined position after relative angular displacement thereof about their pivotal center;

v Another` object of the invention is to pro` 65 vide an anti-friction side hearing including a roller element interposed between the body and truck holstersvof a railway car and supportedon the truck bolster, wherein the roller andV body bolster are provided with intereo engaging means for rolling the roller to centered positionV by relative angular movement of the holsters to vertically alined position, and the body and truck holsters are provided withA opposed hearing surfaces, V

each inclined upwardly in opposite directions from Athe renter, the inclined truck holster surface'assisting in the rolling return movement of the roller to accurate-centered position andthe inclined body bolsted hearing surface compensating for the inclination of the truck holsterbearing surface to maintain uniform spacing between the hodyand truck holsters duringthe operation of the device.

`Other and further objects of the invention will morefclearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of'thisspeciication, Figure l is a vertical sectional View, taken parallel to the length of a car through the ends of the body and'truck holsters thereof and showingrmy improvements in connection therewith, the parts being shown in full lines in the centered position and the roller and top portion of the truck bolster being shown in dotted line position with the roller displaced to one side. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2`2 of Figure l. kAnd Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding from the center of the same.

I2-12, transverse end walls 13-13,`and a horizontal top wall 14. The top wall 1A is provided with laterally extending securing lugs 15 by which the housing is fixed to the bottom side of the body bolsterl 10. As shown in the present instance, the housing is secured by rivets extending throughthe lugs 15 and the bottom plate of the bolster 10.

as indicated at 16-16, providing vertically disposed guideways having spaced parallel vertical end walls or surfaces 17-17. The guideways open through the bottom of the housing and extend to the top of the same. The top wall 14 of the housingis provided with a convex bearing surface 18. on the under side thereof. As shown, the bearing surface is inclined upwardly in opposite di rections from the center'therecf, for a purpose hereinafter more fully pointed out.

The bottom bearing plate C is of substantially rectangular shape and is secured at opposite ends by rivets extending through the plate and the top flange of the truck bolster 11. Y The central portion of the plate is thick` cned, as most clearly shown in Figure 1, and said thickened portion is provided with a concave upper bearing surface 19. As shown clearly in Figure 1, the bearing surface 19 is inclined upwardly in opposite directions The curvature of the bearing surface 19 and the bearing surface 18 is such that when the anti-friction roller element is rolled along between the same the distance between the flanges of the body and truck holsters will remain substantially constant, that is, the body bolster will not be elevated to anyappreciable extent with respect to the top of the truck bolster.

The anti-friction element B is in the form l of a true cylindrical roller and is at all times supported on the top surface of the bearing plate C. The roller Bis provided with centering lugs 20-2O on the opposite sides thereof. The ycentering lugs are offset with respect to the endfaces of the roller and, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 8, extend above the top of the roller. The centering lugs engage within the gui-deways 16 respectively and, as most clearly illustrated in Figure/1, each luv is of such a shape as to occupy substantially the entire space between the vertical end walls or surfaces 17 of the corresponding guideway. Each lug 20 has upwardly diverging bottom edges 21-21 and curved side edges 22-22 directly above the same. The edges 21 and 22 are so shaped that as the roller is displaced to either side of the centered position the opposed portions of the edge 21 at one side of the lug and the edge 22 at the other side of the lug are always in substantial contact with the spaced parallel walls 17-17 of the guideway. By this arrangement the position of the roller is at all times controlled, and especially during the returning movement oftheroller when-thev same is relieved from load. Inasmuch as the bearing surface 19 Aof the plate C is upwardly inclined in opposite directions from the center, the roller B will be urged to centered position'by the action of gravity thereon after the same has been displaced to either'side of .n the centered position. v Theiside walls of the housing are offset,l

In assembling my improved side bearing, the roller is passed within thel housing through the open botto-m thereof, the lugs being passed into the guideways 16,-16. In order to prevent loss of the roller during handling and shipment of the bearing, a pair of retaining cotter pins 23-23 are Provided. These pins extend through openings near the bottom ends of the walls 17-17 of the guideways. as clearly shown in Figure 1. The cot-Y ter pins 23 which retain the roller within the housing do not, however, engage the centering lugs 20 when the bearing is in actualv use on the car, the transverse Cotter pins 23 being spaced an appreciable distance below the limit of downward movement of the lugs 2O in the slots V16. By locating the Cotter pins as pointed out, relative vertical adjustment of the body bolster with respect to the truck bolster is also permitted without in any way interfering with the centering operation of the bearing. In other words, if it is found desir-able to increase the distance between the body and truck holsters and spacing shims are inserted between theparts of the center bearing, the consequent lifting of the body bolster will not in any way affect the position of the roller on the bearing plate of the truck bolster, because the guides in which the centering lugs 20 are disposed are -free to move upwardly without disturbing the lugs.

In the operation of my improved side bearing, assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1, with the roller in centered position, the top portion of the roller will be engaged by the bearing surface 18 when the bolsters approach each other, thus placing the roller B under load.

Upon relative angular displacement of the body and truck bc-lsters about their pivotal center, the roller will be rolled along between the bearing surfaces 18 and 19 of the holsters, During this displacement of the roller, the

centering lugs will move downwardly in the guideways 16 and be guided in a vertical path by the spaced parallel end walls of each guideway while toe roller is having true rolling movement between the bearing surfaces. In Figure 1, theV truck bolster 11 is shown in dotted lines displaced to one extreme position and the relative position of the antifriction roller is also shown in dotted lines in said figure. The relative position of the lugs 20, when the roller is displaced to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1, are also indicated in dotted lines in said figure. l/Vith the roller displaced to either side of the centered position and upon removal of the load therefrom by lifting of the body bolster so as to clear the top of the roller, the latter will be urged to roll to centered position by the action of gravity on the same, due to the inclination of the bearing surface of the plate C which is mounted on the trucl bolster. Inasmuch as the centering lugs are disposed between the opposed parallel end walls 17 of the guideways, return movement of the roller is not permitted until the bolsters swing relatively to 'each other back toward th vertically alined position shown in full lines in Figure 1. The return movement of the vroller is thus positively controlled by the centering lugs. Upon relative angular movement of the body and truck bolsters toward the vertical centered position shown in Figure 1, the contacting 'walls 17 will force the lugs to move and thereby rotate the roller back to the centered position shown in said ligure.

In addition to urging the roller B to cen-- tered position by the action of gravity, the inclined bearing surface 19 also serves to determine the true centered position of the roller when the same reaches the lowest point of said inclined surface. As will be evident, the centering lugs 20, upon relative angular movement of the bolsters, serve as means to positively center the roller dependent upon the relative positions of the bolsters, and the inclined bearing surface 19 of the truck bolster supplements the centering lugs in the centering operation and prevents accidental sliding of the roller on the bearing surface of the truck bolster.

While I have herein shown and described what I consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Iclaim: 1

1. In a side bearing for railway cars, the combination with cooperating body and truck bolsters; of a bearing member mounted on the truck bolster, having an exterior top bearing surface upwardly inclined from the center in opposite directions; a housing secured to the body bolster, said housing having spacedjend and. spaced side wallsand an t interior bearing. surface opposed to said firstnamedrbearing surface; andan ant1-friction roller'interposed between said bearingsur; faces and 'supported at all times entirelyon the truck Vbolster bearing surface andfhaving rolling contact therewith, movement of said roller lengthwise offsaid bearing surfaces'being' limited. by said end walls of the housing.

of said surface extending parallel to the length of said bolster and also provided with depending side walls and depending end walls, said side walls being provided with vertical guideways, each presenting opposed parallel vertical guide surfaces; of an antifriction roller within said housing, said roller having eccentrically disposed centering lugs, each extending into one of said guideways and confined between the vertical guide surfaces of said guideway in all positions of said lugs, said centeringy lugs being freely movable up and down in said guideways in all positions of the roller; and a complementary bearing member adapted to be secured to the upper side of the truck bolster and provided on the upper side thereof with an approximately concave bearing surface' on which said roller is supported at all times, whereby during actuation of the bearing with the roller under load, the distance between the body and truck bolsters will be maintained substantially uniform, and when the roller is free from load said roller will be free of engagement with the first named bearing surface and will return to its centered position under the influence of gravity controlled by said centering lugs and cooperating guideways.

3. In a side bearing, the combination with an upper bearing member adapted to be secured to the body bolster and provided with a bottom bearing surface; of a lower bearing plate adapted to be secured to the truck bolster and provided with a top bearing surface; a roller interposed between said surfaces; interengaging means on said roller and upper bearing member for inducing rolling of said roller on said bearing surface of the lower bearing plate when the roller is free from load and the bolsters are moved relatively to each other about their pivotal centers to effect centering of said roller when the bolsters are brought to vertically alined position, said upper bearing member having the bearing surface on the under side thereof inclined upwardly from each side of the center thereof, said lower bearing plate having its upper surface inclined upwardly from the center on each side, said surfaces being so related that the distance between .the bolf sters will be maintained uniform during ae-. tuation 0f said bearing While the roller is under load and upon release of the pressure U? of the roller the latter will be urged to return to normal position under the. influence of gravity.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have lhereunto subscribed my name this 31' 10'"day of December, 1928. 7 HENRY FUCHS; 

